Swansea and Neath
Swansea Bay Promenade
Five miles of flat surfaced promenade round the bay from the marina to Mumbles, on the line of the world’s first passenger railway.
- Distance
- 3.4 mi / 5.5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 45
- Ascent
- 20 m
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Shape
- There and back
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
Follow the promenade from the marina round the bay to Mumbles pier. Flat and surfaced throughout, and the bus runs back.
Worth knowing
- Fully accessible the whole way and one of the longest level walks in south Wales.
- The Mumbles Railway ran along here from 1807 to 1960, the first fare-paying passenger service in the world.
- Shared with cyclists; the path is wide but busy on fine weekends.
What you’ll see
The bay, Mumbles head and lighthouse at the far end, and the city behind.
Background
The Swansea and Mumbles Railway carried its first paying passengers in 1807, seventeen years before the Stockton and Darlington.